He didn’t respond for a long moment. Instead, he resettled his stance and looked away, as if uncomfortable in his own skin. “I will admit,” he finally said, “that I felt it unfair at first. Especially when you hated me so.” He slowly pulled her back into his arms. “But then I found it impossible to think of a life without you. You possess my heart completely.” He sealed the words with a kiss so tender and loving that it threatened to make her weep. “I will keep you safe, my darling swan. Do not be afraid.”
“As long as you keep yourself safe too.” She touched his cheek, thankful for his love, his patience, and his tenacity. “I hope our children are not as stubborn as you and I. We will be sorely pressed to keep up with them if they are.”
“Indeed, we will.” He tucked her hand into the crook of his arm. “Come. Let us go have a word with your mother.”
“Would you rather I do it alone? She is already angry with me.”
“I am not afraid of your mother.”
Sophie forced herself not to smile at his bravado.
“I do not fear her, Sophie,” he repeated in an injured tone.
“Of course you do not fear her. You merely have a healthy admiration of her.” She gave his arm a sympathetic pat. “As do I. Do you think we might get Merritt to tell her?”
Nash arched a brow but didn’t quite pull off a scowl. “You must stop tossing my friend to the proverbial wolves.”
“It was merely a thought.” She huffed. “Admittedly, a cowardly thought, but a thought just the same.”
Just as they reached Maman’s sitting room door, it flew open and the dowager countess herself rushed into the hallway, mumbling something in French. When she noticed them, she halted with a startled jerk but then quickly recovered. “What is it?” she asked rather snappishly. “I have much to do.”
“You do not, my lady.” Nash handed her the letter. “I find it deeply concerning that our blackmailing assassin is quite informed about the goings-on of this household. Read it. I am sure you will find it unsettling as well.”
Maman paled as she read the letter. “It appears we have a traitor among us,” she whispered.
“But who?” Sophie asked. “Only the staff knew of your plans to return to Calais, and they have all been with us for years.”
“No. There was one other.” The dowager turned almost thoughtful. “Themalletieron Bond Street knew. Two of my trunks suffered some damage in the channel crossing and required repair before they could be reused. I was not aware of this until a few days ago, when Maude started packing. I had the trunks sent to Waldreges with the explicit instruction that I required them to be repaired and reinforced for a crossing to France this week.”
“Who delivered the trunks to Bond Street?” Nash asked. “And when?”
“Redmond took them last week, but he has been in our employ for well over five years.”
“Someone in the shop could have overheard him passing along your instructions,” Sophie said. “Especially if they were having the house watched and followed him there.”
“I shall speak with Redmond and send Merritt to Waldreges to have a word with the shopkeeper.” Nash tapped on the letter and leveled a stern look on the dowager countess. “You are staying here, my lady. For your own safety.”
Sophie held her breath, waiting for Maman to argue or fuss. But her mother did neither. She simply touched her brow as if suddenly overcome by a terrible headache.
“I shall inform Maude,” she said in a weak voice as she slowly moved back into the sitting room. Head bowed and her usually pristine posture now sagging and tired, she let the letter fall tothe floor as she crossed to the sofa, settled down upon it, and draped a hand over her eyes.
“Maman.” Sophie went to her. “It will be all—”
Her mother held up a hand and silenced her. “Let me rest, daughter. Please, just let me rest.”
“Yes, Maman.” Sophie pulled a knitted throw from the back of the sofa, spread it across her mother, then quietly left the room and closed the door.
Nash stood in the hallway, his face shadowed with a grim look of worry. “It is not that I don’t trust your mother…”
“Perhaps Merritt should take up his post outside her door just to be certain.” Sophie trusted her mother too, but also knew the fearless woman was quite capable of taking extreme measures to protect everyone but herself. “I hope she doesn’t choose to do something dangerous, but I cannot say with any certainty that she won’t.”
“That is my fear as well. I believe Merritt is in his quarters packing. I shall speak to him now.”
“Here is the letter if you wish to show it to him.” Sophie pressed the vile thing into Nash’s hands, wishing there was a simple way of ridding themselves of this dark cloud constantly hanging over them. She stared at the letter, willing it to tell her the identity of its author.
“Sophie? Your look worries me.”
“We are going to have to set a trap. You do realize that?” She knew he wouldn’t like it, but surely he would agree with her reasoning. “It is the only way we will ever be rid of this blackguard. Capture him. Make sure he doesn’t have any poison to kill himself with before he talks, and then deal with him. I am sure Queen Charlotte would be more than happy to have Prinny order the man either hanged or beheaded for treason and murderous threats to the Crown.”
